Mystery donor who gave $35K to The Oatmeal’s Tesla museum fund revealed

Self-proclaimed "science lover" is building a dinosaur-themed hotel.

Greg Tally, owner of the Best Western Denver Southwest hotel, was one of two mystery donors behind donations of over $33,333 that helped Matt Inman raise almost $1.4 million to buy property in Long Island for a Tesla Museum. But Tally, who says he donated $35,000, isn't just a hotelier. The self-professed “science lover and Colorado history buff” broke ground on Tuesday, initiating a construction project that will transform his regular hotel into a dinosaur and paleontology themed hotel.

In an e-mail to Ars, Tally said that besides the publicity he knew would receive from the donation (The Oatmeal promised to write a cartoon about donors that gave more than $33,333), he also just likes museums in general. “I'd like to see Wardenclyffe [the name of the property that will become the Tesla museum] joined [by] a 'Tesla West' museum in Colorado Springs. (I have no businesses there; just seems like a great attraction for the state). I'm gaga about museums. Plus, I want to educate the world about why Dinosaur Ridge, The Morrison Formation, The Cretaceous Interior Seaway and the Dakota Hogback are significant for culture, history and paleontology” (Links added by the editor).

Dinosaur Ridge is famous for some of the best-known and earliest fossil discoveries in the US, including “Apatosaurus, Stegosaurus, the Colorado State Fossil; and Allosaurus,” according to the visitor center website (Who knew states had official fossils? My state, California, bears the standard of the saber-toothed cat, and Georgia Representative Paul Broun, who declared, 'All that stuff I was taught about evolution and embryology and the Big Bang Theory...is lies straight from the pit of Hell,' defends the Cretaceous–Miocene shark tooth as his state fossil.) Dinosaur Ridge is a few minutes drive from the site of Tally's hotel, which will feature fossil displays and life-size dinosaur statues when complete.

Tally said he was happy to contribute to the Tesla Museum and grateful for Inman throwing his weight behind the groundbreaking for the Dino Hotel project. “While I did throw in a few room nights, Matt and his girlfriend bought last-minute plane tickets and paid their own way to be a part of our groundbreaking. This was beyond cool that his Cereal Hotness threw some Oat Love my way.”

As an elementary school or middle school student in Colorado Springs I visited the old Tesla museum. It was very simple - not more than a couple of rooms. But it was full of cool electricity and magnetism demonstrations. By far the coolest one was a working demonstration of Tesla's idea for wireless power. I distinctly remember holding a fluorescent light bulb as the museum volunteer ramped up the power. Slowly but surely the silver ball started dancing with arcs of current spreading into the air and the light flickered on in my hand. I was pretty young at the time and that experience stuck with me. I was saddened when I heard that the museum ran up against financial issues and was forced to close several years later. That day was probably planted the seed that motivated me to study electrical engineering. Needless to say I am excited that there will be a new Tesla museum and I'd love to see one reopened in Colorado Springs.

Things I learned today: Tennessee's state fossil is a Bivalve Mollusc. And here I thought it was Minnie Pearl all this time.

They actually believe in fossils in Tennessee?

Of course! Proof of Noah's Flood, doncha know? How else were sea creatures supposed to get up those mountains, evolve wings? Sounds highly implausible to me!My state doesn't have an official fossil, nor an official dinosaur.

Awesome! I'll have to look this up if I ever stay in Colorado. I need some pictures, however, demonstrating that all of the doors have been Raptor-proofed.

We assure you we have hired a top notch computer hacker named Dennis Nedry to oversee all IT solutions at the property. He is diligently and specifically interested in the software controls to the raptor cages. We have a very good feeling about Mr. Nedry. What could possibly go wrong?